Cellular and wireless communication technologies have seen explosive growth over the past several years. This growth has been fueled by better communications hardware, larger networks and more reliable protocols. Wireless service providers are now able to offer their customers an ever-expanding array of features and services, and provide users with unprecedented levels of access to information, resources and communications. Today's cell phones include cameras, GPS receivers, MP3 players, and provide access to web content, data sharing, application downloading, and many other features.
As cell phones and wireless devices continue to grow in popularity, many parents have begun providing cell phones to their young children. Cell phones provide these children with a degree of safety and protection, as they are now able to immediately contact the parents in case of an emergency. However, by carrying a personal cell phone/wireless device, children are now more susceptible to certain dangers (e.g., calls and messages from strangers, access to certain websites) and present more opportunities to access age-inappropriate content and participate in inappropriate or unproductive activities (e.g., texting in class). As more children have access to feature-rich cell phones, parents need better controls over their children's phones.